


Dust Bunnies

by Evergreena



Series: Batfam Bingo Shorts [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Batfamily (DCU), Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Cute, Fluff, Gen, Pre-Robin Dick Grayson, Thunderstorms, Young Dick Grayson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:28:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26594452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evergreena/pseuds/Evergreena
Summary: When 8-year-old Dick Grayson's imagination paints monsters for him during his first storm living at Wayne Manor, he escapes to the safest place he can find... under the bed.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne
Series: Batfam Bingo Shorts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1934611
Comments: 8
Kudos: 155





	Dust Bunnies

Flashing teeth snapped in the darkness, followed by a chorus of menacing growls. They were close. Too close.

8-year-old Dick Grayson shook his head. It was just lightning and thunder. It wasn't monsters. He was safe here in Bruce Wayne's big empty house. _Right?_

More growls answered him, and he thought he saw a shadow move in the open closet. He held his breath, then slowly let it out. He could do this. He ventured one hand outside of his covers and reached for his bedside lamp. It clicked. Nothing happened. 

The panic returned as he realized the power was out. He gulped and tucked his arm back in the safety of his blankets. He was safe here. He didn't have to worry that dark creatures would get him. Bruce had promised.

It was hard to believe that promise when every shadow appeared to have glowing red eyes and dagger-like teeth...

Another flash of lightning combined with an immediate clap of house-shaking thunder sent him scrambling up. He yanked his blanket off the bed and crawled beneath the box springs. He tried to stifle his panicked breathing. His heart was pounding too hard. He panted quietly among the dust bunnies.

Somewhere in the room, the floorboards creaked.

Dick nearly gasped in terror. It was here! It was in the room with him! It would find him!

_Please go away!_

Heavy, shuffling feet. Then, silence.

Tears eked out as Dick pressed his eyelids together, trying to will himself to disappear. _I’m not here. I’m an invisible boy._

Something lumbered closer to the edge of the bed. The sound made his eyes open of their own accord. He could see it now. It was right there! If he didn’t think it would get him killed, he could reach out and touch the shadowy creature…

“Dick?”

He squeaked at the sound of his whispered name. He clapped his hand over his mouth in horror. It knew he was here!

The creature dropped down lower, growing in size in the strip of room that Dick could see from his hiding place. Was it sniffing him out? His blood ran cold.

_I’m a stone statue. I’m a dust bunny. I’m a—_ But he had to breathe eventually. When he finally took a shallow breath, some of the thick dust flew right into his nose, tickling his nostrils.

He sneezed three times in quick succession.

When he finished, a dreadful silence fell over the room, broken only by the sound of tree branches scraping outside his window in the gusts of the storm outside.

Then someone laughed. It was a jarring sound, too warm and bright, not fitting the tense moment. Confused, Dick scooted backward as far as he dared, gripping his blanket between his fingers like a lifeline.

“Dick, it’s all right,” came Bruce’s voice. “Here, let me show you.” A dim light clicked on. A small flashlight flickered over Dick’s face. He squinted at the sudden brilliance.

“Show yourself,” he croaked.

The light rotated away from him. Then it revealed Bruce’s face, concerned and bemused. “What are you doing down there?” he asked.

“Hiding,” Dick managed to answer. “Duh.”

Bruce’s half-smile slipped. “You know you’re safe here, right?” He sighed. “You want to come out and we can talk about it?”

Dick shook his head. He was safer under the bed. Even the presence of Bruce wasn’t enough to coax him out just yet. A crash of thunder reinforced his decision.

Bruce hummed thoughtfully. “Mind if I join you?”

That didn’t make sense. Dick was momentarily pulled out of his fear to frown at his guardian. “…What?”

“It’s a big space, we can both fit. After all, it’s my job to make sure you’re safe. If you’re not going to come out where I can keep an eye on you more easily…” He lowered the rest of his big body to the floor and slid sideways toward the bed. “…then I’ll just have to come to you instead.”

In a daze, Dick automatically scooted closer to the wall to make room.

With much puffing and muttering, Bruce Wayne actually managed to slide himself under the box spring. He wriggled backward until his feet poked out the other side of the queen-size bed. He shifted with some effort until he could crane his neck around and look at Dick. “There. Not the most comfortable position, but when it comes to security, nothing’s better than a solid under-the-bed fortress. Here.” He held the flashlight out, handle first. “You better take charge of this.”

Dick hesitated. At Bruce’s encouraging nod, he closed his fingers around the metal flashlight. He pulled it close to his chest. The light made a warm, cheery bubble around him. His panic finally ebbed away.

“Now,” Bruce said matter-of-factly. “I’ll take first watch.” He turned away and stared into the darkness of the room.

Now that his fear was mostly gone, Dick realized how ridiculous this was. He snorted, then covered his face with his hand.

“What is it?” Bruce asked, a little alarmed.

Dick burst out into giggles. He couldn’t help it. Bruce was squished under the bed! Bruce Wayne!

Bruce let out a breath, sounding relieved that Dick was laughing instead of panicking. “Shh,” he said solemnly. “Dust bunnies are very sensitive creatures. You shouldn’t laugh at them.”

Dick’s giggles turned into a gasping peal of laughter. “You’re under the _bed!”_

“I fail to see why that’s so funny. After all, you were here first. Or wait, are _you_ a dust bunny?”

It took a long time for Dick’s laughing fit to subside. When it finally did, he felt warm and exhausted in a good way. He curled up a little closer to Bruce’s side, comforted by his solid presence under the bed. He tugged his blanket up to use as a pillow, and hugged the flashlight. “Bruce?” he said sleepily.

“Yes?”

“Will you stay with me?”

Bruce took a long moment to answer. When he finally spoke, his deep voice was so soft it was almost lost in a retreating roll of thunder. “Always, kiddo. Always.”


End file.
